Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed Review

Joe Anderson
|
2 years ago

When it comes to NIS produced games I am now well used to the weird and strange characters and the worlds they inhabit but with Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed they have taken it to a whole new level, stripping vampires!

Yes that’s right, no longer are there just very suggestive camera angles and risqué chat, this time it is just stripping your opponent in a 3D beat-em-up. You play as a young inhabitant of Akihabara, Japan's technology and anime mecca, feeding the fan boys and girls their every possible need. The story kicks off with your character being duped into pretty much selling his soul for the promise of rare anime figurines and before the ink has dried on his new job contract the evil Megaimono Corporation transforms him into a Synthister, a type of vampire that feeds off the city inhabitant’s energy, turning their victims into lethargic shells. At a crucial point your character is saved by Shizuku, a mysterious young girl who transfers her own blood into you, sating your appetite for energy and in turn you introduce her to your friends at the MOGRA game bar and café which is also the home of the Akiba Freedom Fighters. This newly rejuvenated team have noticed that there are lots of strange goings on in the area and with recent events, now upping their game, patrolling the streets in search of the Synthisters.

The game world is a digital rendition of the real Akihabara shopping precinct, a world bustling with teens chasing their idols and fantasies and spending their hard earned cash in the many shops that line the streets. The world itself has been split into many smaller segments, I guess due to memory constraints on the game itself as each area is heavily populated with shops and consumers, busy going about their daily business. With the aim of the game to defeat the Synthisters it does not take long to get into your first few fights and of course, stripping vampires. Presented like a 3D beat-em-up, when approached you automatically lock onto the nearest target, allowing you then to block, counter and attack three separate areas; head, body and legs. The aim is to wear down each area of clothing and when they start flashing they are then ready to grab and hopefully rip off the clothes and when the enemy is down to their underwear they start screaming and ultimately burn up in the sun. It is initially a little basic but as you progress through the game you will learn more skill to utilise lie when fighting as a duo you can pull off special team moves.

Though the fighting is fun for a while it does get quite repetitive after a while so there is loads of customisable areas in the game to at least add some variety. Early in the game your little sister also offers her cosplay alteration services, essentially becoming a blacksmith, fusing and upgrading items to become even more powerful from an already decent selection of clothing and accessories. Weapons also play a large part and again these are upgradable and they also have their own styles. Some, like boxing gloves allow for quick barrage of punches, light but many; large rolled up posters are great for clearing multiple enemies but are quite weak and the heavier items, like monitors or laptops pack a real wallop but are slow and cumbersome leaving trial and error in learning the properties and styles of each item which is quite fun. Most of these items can be purchased for a price at the many shops or you may get lucky and just pick up some form the floor after a vamp burns, leaving just their clothes or weapons behind.As you carry out the main missions with the other members of the Akiba Freedom Fighters there are also plenty of other distractions to keep you occupied like side missions to earn some extra cash to purchase that painting you were eyeing up or even building friendships with the many members of your group and whilst most of the will be either a fetch quest or another fight, it adds plenty more content to the game.

For the majority of the game it was quite enjoyable, a little weird and out there, but while the underlying mechanics are good enough to enjoy there were a few moments where the game becomes just plain uncomfortable. Whilst it is nuts beating up a vampire to the point of pulling off their clothes and leaving them in their underwear (male and female) for them to burn in the sunlight, it does not make sense but it is acceptable as they are the enemy and must be dealt with accordingly, however one of the missions has you taking on a request from a local to stop their friend acting like an idiot and dressing up like a fan girl. So you take on the job and, like the rest of the game assume she is another vamp, but it is only when you win and she runs away in her underwear that you realise you have essentially sexually assaulted a young girl and stripped her on the request of her best friend. Often there is a feeling of lost in translation or just archaic beliefs in some Eastern games but this is really not acceptable on any level. This felt really out of place and is something that really does need to be addressed as it does send a wrong message, even in a fantasy world. It is these moments that ruin the game and turn what could have been an enjoyable game into something quite disturbing.

The title makes a lot more sense if you read/say it the way it's meant. Title is Akiba'sTrip, you pronounce it as Akiba Strip

Bindiana
2 years ago

See Ash has been given the unusual games to review again. Does Joe not like you Ash? Need to get this at some stage to give it a try shame the PS4 version didnt come out as well at the same time.

Turniplord
2 years ago

I'm gonna have to get this on my Vita - sounds strangely entertaining. I'm gonna have no money left on pay day :( Bayonetta, AC5, Samurai Warriors 4, Pokemon etc... :'(

PrometheusFan
2 years ago

I think you're maybe reading too much into the core premise of the game with that last paragraph, but yeah, the game is astoundingly dumb and insane, but very funny at times (I got a good laugh out of one move you can do where you make an opponent's clothes explode with an attack from Fist of the North Star). It's the closest we're ever likely to get to a new Yakuza game here in the west (They feel very similar gameplay wise) if nowt else. I regret nothing.